The Counseling Office
immediately all notice
my early
Christmas present
from Dr. Brimmond.
"Is this your
attempt at
a nose ring?"
The spiciest one
teases.
The nasal cannula
is predicted to be
pretty permanent.
Right now
it's on a
test run
to see how
things go.
I hate it.
Cadence approved of
my first
cannula selfie,
to which she replied with
three thumbs up and
galaxies of love.
We are
running out of
things
to give.
I twirl
as best I can
while dragging
the machine
so I can model
for her.
The secretary
pushes over
her bowl of
candy.
Her selection of
Dum-Dums
and Smarties
rest over a sign
that reads,
"We choose
who we are
daily;
choose wisely."
I inform her
that people will
smoke the Smarties
and she checks
if I've ever
done that.
Nope,
I steer clear
of any type
of smoking
for sure.
She tells me
"my generation"
puts too much work
into smoking
candy.
When she was
young—
her words,
not mine—
they snorted
Pixie Stix
because they're
already
ground up.
Laughing with
supplemental air
is not the most
fun thing
I've ever done,
but definitely
not that high,
relatively,
on the awful list.
I grab
A Dum-Dum
as Kjrsten
treks up front
to pick up
some copies
she must have
just air printed.
She smiles when
she sees me,
glad to see that
I'm better than
I was when
I was the
spectacle over
the walkie talkies.
I didn't realize
the entire
Counseling Office
would be informed
when I went into
crisis mode,
but whatever.
Let's just tell
the whole.
Wide.
World.
YOU ARE READING
Remember; You Have the Universe
Teen FictionCover by kyromaniak Everyone wants to be different. I just want to be like everybody else. ---- Seventeen-year-old chronically ill Emma has traded dreams of flying into space for, "Support Therapy," aka, "The Dying Kids Group," and Student Council...
